Newsletter - September 2005

I am sure you have followed, as I have, the stories of devastation and human tragedy as the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina continue to be realized in our southern states. Much has been written about the horror and misery surrounding this disaster, so I will not recount those matters here, but there is another focus that I think is important for us as Christians to observe:

• The many whose hearts of compassion have compelled them to drop everything to go to Louisiana or Mississippi to wallow in the mud in order to help those who are victims. My sister-in-law is one of those. She is working with a FEMA team and has left her family behind in Michigan in order to offer help under the most difficult of working conditions.

• Then there are those who have opened their hearts to refugees. There is a woman in a town near me who has 23 people living in her home who were able to escape the devastation of Katrina. Imagine what those mealtimes are like in that house!

• And let’s not forget those who serve by digging deep into their wallets to give money for agencies which are providing food, water, clothing, and transportation for those who are desperate.

Every time I turn on the news or read the newspaper accounts of this tragedy, I see servants. I see those who are willing to make great personal sacrifices in order to give to others. I see those who are showing the love of Jesus to those who suffer.

Then I look around me and I see men and women who have learned the fine art of serving and are doing so every day of their lives. They work in soup kitchens, clean our churches and schools, take care of babies and children, make meals for their families, run errands for those who can’t get out on their own, and listen with patience to those who need a friend. They drive our buses, bake our bread, work in our day cares, and serve our meals. They teach our children, care for the sick, and hold the hand of a recovering alcoholic. They find what needs to be done and they do it.

Do you know what Jesus taught about people like these? He said they are what we all should aspire to be. “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” (Matthew 19:26-27). For God, being aservant is all about attitude. It means that we do not hold ourselves up as being too good to do ANY job that will meet somebody’s needs.

Jesus himself took on the nature of a servant (Philippians 2:7); He set aside all the “perks” that come with being God the Creator and came to earth with the attitude of a servant. Just think of it! Jesus left heaven and came to earth in order to serve. He healed the sick, forgave sins, washed feet, calmed fears, fed the hungry, and provided living water for the spiritually thirsty.

As I pondered these past few days the concept of giving of oneself to serve others, I began to realize how pleased God is with those who serve. He takes good care of them! They might not be able to measure in material terms the benefits associated with serving, but God has laid out several principals that He has put into effect especially for those who serve. Here are the ones I could find:

Rule of Reciprocity
At some point, those who serve get served. When we give of our time and energy to others, it does not go unnoticed. There will come a time when we need help, too. And when that time comes, those we have served will be the first in line to serve us.

Isn’t it great how God has arranged for Christians to work together to help each other? Isn’t it great how the tables turn once in awhile so that sometimes we can be the stronger ones who can serve and at other times we are in a position of weakness and need to rely on the service of others? I think that’s God’s Rule of Reciprocity.

Rule of Rest
Serving is hard work! We get tired waiting on people, meeting their needs, and giving of ourselves and our energies all the time. Yet Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29). A yoke is a wooden framework placed over the shoulders of two oxen so they could plow the fields as a team. When a yoke was put on the ox’s back, he knew hard word was ahead. But Jesus took the concept of work and put it into the context of rest. How can that be?

How can we work hard serving others and still find rest? Maybe it is something like this: Have you ever been physically exhausted yet you could not fall asleep at night? Your mind was racing, your body was overtaxed, and you were restless. Jesus said that if we work for Him, our souls would be at rest. We will have the deep internal restedness that only He can give. The tiredness of our bodies is often not what wears us out, instead our exhaustion is often caused by the energy drain of our souls.

Jesus says that if we work together with Him (in the same yoke – He doesn’t ask us to do anything without Him!), our work may cause our bodies to be tired, but our souls will beat rest. As we are willing servants of God, we will have peace with Him and peace in our hearts. Jesus knows that our souls are where we are in most need of rest. Serving at rest. That is a concept that only God could have thought of!

Rule of Reward
Someone once quipped that working for God has a great benefit package: The retirement plan is out of this world! While that is cute, it is also accurate. God rewards His servants. That reward may not be very visible in this world, but the day is coming, Jesus said, in which the values of this world will be turned upside down. “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16). Those who have served God in this lifetime will be rewarded in the life to come. We are told that, in God’s kingdom, servants willrule. Someday, God will come to set things right and, in that day, those who are most like Christ will be those who are most exalted.

So, as I watch the news and see those who are working hard to help those who cannot help themselves, and as I receive the benefits from those who serve me daily, I know that God is watching. He smiles upon those who have servants’ hearts. He recognizes His Son in them and seeing Jesus’ image in human beings makes Him glad. It makes me glad, too!

Joyfully looking to Jesus, the One who serves servants,

Bev

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